crane

noun \ ˈkrān \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Definition of crane

1 : any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails

2 : any of several herons

3 : an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as

a : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

b : an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles

c : a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

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Recent Examples of crane from the Web

The small upward turn in the Ordos area has led some property developers to get their cranes going again, even as existing units sit unoccupied.

— dominique fong, WSJ, "China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy," 15 June 2018
And then, when Ellie and the other woman kiss, look at the way Ellie’s lips pucker hesitantly and then lock with the other woman, how their necks crane and shift as the kiss unfolds.

— patricia hernandez, The Verge, "Dang, that Last of Us Part II kiss was some great animation," 12 June 2018
Lifting the columns required not one but two 500-ton cranes because of the weight.

— tim newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "These 165,000-Pound Columns Will Heft a 38-Story Tower 85 Feet Off the Ground," 12 June 2018
The sequence led to Spider-Man swinging from collapsing cranes in the middle of a massive thunderstorm, then getting handily beaten by several villains at once on a rooftop.

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "Sony at E3: Death Stranding is every bit as bizarre as Kojima fans dreamed," 12 June 2018
Other relics discovered on site and preserved include two large aqua-colored cranes that used to haul cargo from ships.

— New York Times, "New Parks Sprout Around New York," 8 June 2018
Johnny's crane-kicking nemesis Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) is living the dream with a picture-perfect family and a successful auto dealership.

— joey morona, cleveland.com, "Cobra Kai: Should you watch YouTube's Karate Kid sequel series?," 2 May 2018
Remotely operated orange-and-white cranes lean over them like reverent metal giraffes.

— vince beiser, WIRED, "The Robot Assault On Fukushima," 26 Apr. 2018
Mobile cranes from across Texas were used to secure the top house.

— scott huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, "HemisFair ’68 transformed the city," 31 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of crane

Origin and Etymology of crane

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

crane

verb

Definition of crane

craned; craning

transitive verb

1 : to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2 : to stretch toward an object of attention

craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1 : to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention

I craned out of the window of my compartment
—Webb Waldron

2 : hesitate

See crane defined for English-language learners

Examples of crane in a Sentence

We craned our necks toward the stage.
craned her head to see the roof

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

Several of the Angels popped out of the visiting dugout, craning their necks to see what was happening.

— jeff miller, latimes.com, "Incident during Angels-Tigers game gets players loose as a goose," 31 May 2018
Within moments, fans had turned away from the game, craning their necks and pointing their cellphone cameras at the couple.

— New York Times, "Celebrities, Rain and the Red Sox Come On Strong in a Yankees Defeat," 10 May 2018
First, nine massive chunks of quarried black marble were trucked in from northern Mexico and craned into a circular formation, echoing Stone and Bronze Age erections in the British Isles.

— michael agresta, WIRED, "Marfa, Texas Is Getting Its Own Solar-Powered Stonehenge," 16 May 2018
One was in full strut while the other craned its neck, looking for what had made the yelps.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Fulfillment on Gobbler's Ridge comes from more than just harvesting turkeys," 12 May 2018
By the time Woods and playing partner Mackenzie Hughes got to 16, the frenzied crowd was dozens deep and craning for a glimpse of golf's biggest star.

— mark long, chicagotribune.com, "Tiger Woods shoots 65, his lowest score ever at Players," 12 May 2018
The other three guys craned their necks and tried to spot it, but didn’t.

— john carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Mysterious light draws thrill seekers to a U.P. forest," 4 Sep. 2016
In making its ruling, the Appeals Court also cited many examples in which police peeking, peering and craning for a better view were acting within the bounds of the Oregon Constitution.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Public masturbator claims his privacy was violated; Oregon appeals court disagrees," 2 May 2018
No craning your neck over hordes of people crowded around the artwork.

— meredith carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to Get New York’s MoMA All to Yourself," 23 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of crane

1570

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

crane Synonyms

Crane

biographical name \ ˈkrān \

Definition of Crane

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

CRANE Defined for English Language Learners

crane

noun

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

: a big machine with a long arm that is used by builders for lifting and moving heavy things
: a type of tall bird that has a long neck and long legs and lives near water